Abstract: The present invention relates in one aspect to a compressible and/or deformable microtome object holder. The object holder may be in the same or similar shape as a wide variety of previous object holders, comprising a specimen plate having a textured or grooved surface and a shank structure. The holder may further comprise a ball element on the opposite end of the shank structure from the plate. In this instance, the ball element serves as the means of mounting the holder to the microtome. At least the grippable portion of the holder which is held by the microtome is formed of a compressible and/or deformable substance. Preferably, the holder is unitarily formed entirely of a compressible and/or deformable substance. The invention allows an object holder to be held more securely and to be molded economically.

Abstract: A microtome object holder clamping assembly is disclosed, having utility for positioning a ball-mounted specimen plate in a spatially fixed manner, but which is selectively repositionable by pivotal and/or rotational movement to dispose the specimen plate at any desired orientation relative to the microtome knife element. The object holder clamping assembly comprises first and second clamping members, one of which has a generally V-shaped, conical spherical contoured channel therein which is disposable in proximity to a spherically contoured cavity in a second clamping member, whereby the ball of the ball-mounted specimen plate may be clamped in a three-point contacting arrangement. The microtome object holder clamping assembly of the invention may be usefully employed in a variety of microtome structures, including microtome cryostats, for sectioning of selected specimens.